Emmerdale's Jonny McPherson is a firm fixture in the cast as Dr Liam Cavanagh but until recently, he had a side hustle as an Airbnb host of a canal boat.

Jonny has bought himself a new flat in Leeds after spending several years living on the canal boat, but even after moving to dry land he kept up captaining the ship for a while longer.

“Acting is a precarious profession,” he told OK!. “It can be very difficult to get a mortgage if you are only working for six months of the year. So, when you get two years of working on something like Emmerdale, it allows you to get a mortgage finally. I’ve got a flat now in Leeds and I’ve sold my boat.

He continued: “I did put it on Airbnb for 18 months before I sold it, and it really took off. After a while, though, it began to get more difficult to manage.

"I was having to check in guests at 10pm on a Friday evening on top of my full-time role in Emmerdale and I decided to sell.”

What did guests say when they realised they were renting a canal boat from an Emmerdale star?

“A few people got very giddy standing on Dr Liam’s boat,” he replies, laughing. “But others didn’t realise at all. I will go travelling on a canal boat again one day, but I certainly don’t miss emptying the poo tank twice a week any more!”

The very down-to-earth and easy-going actor said he particularly loves the camaraderie on set working closely with his co-stars, after years spent on the road at different theatres.

And while Jonny – who can be found going on walks with his beloved dog, Molly, cooking and watching films when he isn’t working – doesn’t actively court fame that can come with a high-profile TV role, he reveals he doesn’t mind exchanging cheeky banter with fans who stop him in the street.

“A firm favourite on a Friday night if you are strolling along the streets of Leeds is a lady, who might have had one too many, asking if ‘the doctor can check a lump on her breast’,” he chuckled. “I always try to make a joke of it because I am very grateful to be here.”

Emmerdale runs every weekday at 7.30pm. You can also download all the episodes on ITVX.

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